Oregon Premiere

Personal and dynamic, this inspiring documentary is a protest film that upends sensationalist headlines and unsubstantiated propaganda. In the days that follow the police shooting of Michael Brown, residents of Ferguson, Missouri come together to protest and demand justice. Artists, musicians, teachers, and parents turn into freedom fighters, standing on the front lines as the National Guard descends on them with military-grade weapons. Out of the ashes of grief, anger, and long-standing inequality, this group of young community members become the torchbearers of a new wave of resistance, fighting not just for civil rights, but for the right to believe, to dream, to tell their own story.

Directors’ Statement: Damon Davis, Sabaah Folayan

Every day, Americans experience a mediascape that humanizes whiteness, delving into the emotional lives of privileged white protagonists while portraying people of color as two-dimensional and mostly negative stereotypes. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the case of Mike Brown who, despite being college-bound and well regarded by his community, was portrayed as a “thug” and a “criminal.” This was a modern day lynching. We are intimately aware of how Black people are portrayed in the media and how this portrayal encourages both conscious and unconscious racial bias. We are uniquely suited to make this film because we ourselves are organizers, activists, and are deeply connected to the events of August 9th and beyond.